You Really Don’t Want Microwave Popcorn. Honestly.
I love popcorn! Do you? What about microwave popcorn? Without doubt it’s easy and convenient. But is it safe? Here’s what you need to know.
As your popcorn heats up, no doubt you’ll smell that distinctive aroma that says “popcorn treat coming soon!”.
What you are smelling is probably diacetyl, a chemical (i.e. artificial) flavor that tastes and smells like butter.
The Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, Ga. in the US say that inhaling heated diacetyl fumes can lead to ” … severe obstructive lung disease commonly known as popcorn lung”.
Now, just to be clear, eating microwave popcorn occasionally probably won’t do much harm to your lungs.
But if you eat it regularly, you could be in trouble. Employees who work in microwave popcorn factories have much higher rates of lung disease (bronchiolitis obliterans) than normal.
And it’s not just the microwave popcorn itself.
Microwave Popcorn Packaging Is Also a Problem
The manufacturers know that consumers don’t want those fake butter flavourings and laboratory oils soaking through the bag and onto their hands.
So, microwave popcorn bags are lined with chemicals such as perfluoroalkyls, nnamely perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA).
They do indeed keep your hands from getting greasy, but they are also linked to problems with your thyroid, endocrine system, and they may raise your risk of cancer and of neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
But wait – there’s more.
Disposal of Microwave Popcorn Bags
Once you’ve enjoyed your chemical-laden (and probably genetically modified) snack, what do you do with the microwave popcorn bag?
- In many cases it can’t be recycled because it’s greasy – which is probably just as well. You don’t want those dangerous chemicals to be placed back into paper and cardboard products made from your recycled popcorn bag.
- If you don’t recycle this bag and simply throw it away, it ends up in a landfill. From there, those toxic chemicals can leach out and contaminate soil and groundwater.
So what does that mean? It means you’re sharing the health hazards of microwave popcorn with your community.
But My Kids And I Really Like Popcorn!
Well, it doesn’t really seem worthwhile to endanger the health of people in the manufacturing factories, of everyone who eats it, and of the environment where it ends up.
So what’s the alternative?
If you eat quite a lot of popcorn, you could buy yourself a popcorn maker like the one on the right – click here for more details
Alternatively, it’s not difficult to pop your own popcorn the “old school” way. It’s not quite as convenient as the microwave version – but what price health?
You just need popcorn kernels and some oil. Then add some flavoring if you wish. Here’s how:
(Note: you can use any type of oil, but coconut oil is often highly recommended).
- Put ¼ cup (60 ml) of oil into a large pot or Dutch oven, and add 3 or 4 popcorn kernels.
- Cover and cook on medium high on your stove-top until the kernels have popped, then remove them.
- Add about 2/3 cup (150g) of popcorn kernels to the oil. Cover and remove the pot from the heat.
- Wait about 30 seconds, then place the pot back on the heat. Shake the pot frequently while cooking, until you hear the popping slow down.
- Most of your popcorn should be popped after only 2 minutes. Now take the lid off your popped corn (so you won’t trap the steam and make your popcorn soggy).
Add salt to taste, and if you want extra sweetness drizzle some raw honey over it. You could also drizzle melted butter over it too. Enjoy!
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Warm regards,
P.S. Want to live a simpler, more green and ecofriendly life? (It’s been shown to increase happiness!). You can download your FREE green living handbook “Live Well, Live Green” here. Get it now!
Related:
- Yeuch. One-third of fast-food packaging is toxic.
- Get rid of all the toxic products in your life (you’ll be shocked at where they hide!). It’s easy – see how here!